The US just saw two landmark rulings against social-media companies. In the highest-profile case, a jury in New Mexico found that social-media giant Meta – whose platforms include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – knowingly harmed the mental health of children — and concealed its knowledge of child sexual exploitation on its platforms. The decision follows a seven-week trial – and saw Meta hit with a 375-million-dollar fine. It’s the first time a jury has ruled against Mark Zuckerberg’s company on child exploitation claims.

New Mexico Becomes the First State to Win at Trial Against Big Tech Company for Misleading Consumers and Endangering Children

Santa Fe, NM – In a historic victory for the New Mexico Department of Justice, today the jury in the landmark State of New Mexico v. Meta Platforms, Inc. trial found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children. With this verdict, New Mexico becomes the first state in the nation to prevail at trial against a major tech company for harming young people. The jury ordered Meta to pay the maximum penalty under the law of $5,000 per violation, totaling $375 million in civil penalties for violating New Mexico’s consumer protection laws. The jury found Meta liable for both claims brought by the State of New Mexico under the Unfair Practices Act.

“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.

“New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids. In the next phase of this legal proceeding, we will seek additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta’s platforms that offer stronger protections for children.

“The substantial damages the jury ordered Meta to pay should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law. Policymakers and law enforcement officials across the country can help make this verdict a turning point in the fight for children’s safety. This is a watershed moment for every parent concerned about what could happen to their kids when they go online – and this victory belongs to them.”

This verdict follows more than two years of litigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice to hold Meta accountable for its dishonesty and design choices that harm children. In 2023, the NMDOJ initiated an investigation of Meta’s platforms to protect children from sexual abuse, online solicitation, and other harms. The internal Meta documents and testimony obtained by the NMDOJ in the litigation reveals repeated warnings from Meta employees and outside child safety experts about dangers present on Meta’s platforms.

The evidence presented at trial – which included internal Meta documents and testimony from former Meta employees, law enforcement officials, and New Mexico educators – established that Meta’s design features enabled pedophiles and predators to engage in child sexual exploitation on Meta’s platforms. Evidence from those witnesses and other industry experts also demonstrated that Meta intentionally designs its platforms to addict young people and, contrary to Meta’s public commitments, expose them to dangerous content related to eating disorders and self harm.

The NMDOJ’s final claim against Meta will be heard via a bench trial that is scheduled to begin on May 4th. During the bench trial, the NMDOJ will argue its public nuisance case and seek injunctive relief that requires Meta to pay additional damages and make specific changes to its platforms and company operations, including enacting effective age verification, removing predators from the platform, and protecting minors from encrypted communications that shield bad actors.

Sources:

https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/new-mexico-department-of-justice-wins-landmark-verdict-against-meta/